Illuminating gas



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. W. ISBBLL.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ILLUMINATING GAS. No. 330,122.

N4 PETERS. PhonrLnmgmpher, wnsmngxm u c,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. W. ISBELL. APPARATUS FOR MAKING ILLUMINATING GAS.

No. 330,122.. Patented Nov. 10, 1885.

N. PETERS, Phnto-Limogmpher. wnshngmn. D. c.

llNTTnn STATES PATENT @Trina CHARLES WV. ISBELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ILLUMINATING-IGAS.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,122, dated November 10, 1885.

Application filed January 10, 1885. Serial No. 152,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GHARLEs W. lsBELL, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Apparatus for Making Illumihating-Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable, generally, to apparatus for making what is commonly known as watergas by passing superheated steam through a mass of incandescent coal or fuel; but the invention is more particularly intended for apparatus comprising a generatingfurnace, through which steam may be passed for the purpose of decomposing it, and which has in its upper part a number of closed retorts which are adapted to receive bituminous coal, and which are heated bythe products of combustion while blowing up the iire in the generating-furnace, and by the hot products of decomposition while passing steam through the furnace for the purpose of distilling the charges of bituminous coal within the retorts.

In apparatus for producing gas by the decomposition of steam it is common to employ a generating-furnace containing two chambers, which are alternately blown up to raise the fire therein to a point of incandescence, and are also alternately employed for produc ing gas by passingsteam through such fires. In the operation of apparatus of this kind it has been usual both in blowing up with air and in decomposing steam to pass the blast of air or current of steam from below one grate upward through the fire in one chamber, and thence downward through the firein the other chamber and the other grate, and it is found by pursuing this course that the grates are quickly burned out and have to be frequently replaced.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will be more durable than those before used for a like purpose; and the invention consists in the combination, with a double-chambered generating-furnace having separate grates, and a partition-wall above which the chambers communicate with each other, of a wall extending transversely across the back of each chamber, forming therein a downwardly-extending flue or passage from (No model.)

which leads an outletpipe, and pipes for supplying steam and air alternately to said chambers.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the above, of a number of closed retorts arranged in the upper part of the furnace-chambers, and adapted to' be heated by the products of combustion while blowing up either chamber, and by the products of decomposition while `admitting steam to either' chamber for the purpose of decomposing it and producing gas.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented an apparatus for carrying out my invention.

Figure l is a vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention in a plane parallel with the length of the retorts, as indicated by the dotted line je of Fig. 2, which is a vertical section on the plane of the dotted linexx, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane of the dotted line yy, Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing one corner portion of the apparatus on a larger scale.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designate closed retorts of the ordinary construction, and here shown as five in number, though a greater or less number may be so arranged. Each retort has its mouth A closed by a lid, (not here shown,) and is connected by a stand-pipe, a, a bridge-pipe, a', and a dip-pipe, a2, with a hydraulic main, B, placed and supported above the apparatus in a well-known manner, The lower retorts are supported upon arches b in the usual way. The retorts above them are supported by tiles or blocks b', resting on the lower retorts, and the upper and middle retort is supported on a wall, (l, which extends upward from the bottom of the apparatus. The wall G has openings c under the upper retort, and through these openings and the space c', above the upper retort, the chambers D Di, on both sides of the wall C, are in free and uninterrupted communication.

The outer shell, d, of the structure may be of sheet metal, and the walls al built of brick in the usual way, and between the brick walls d and the metal shell or casing d is a space,

IOO

d2, which may be filled with ashes or other loose material to provide for expansion. The structure, therefore, comprises two communieating chambers, D D*, in which are grates e e, ash-pits ff, ash-pit doors g g, and feeding or stoking doors 7L, only one of which is shown, in. the upper part of the chambers, and just above the Hoor E of the retort-house. In the rear of the' furnace-chambers D D* is a transverse wall, C', whichforms downwardly-extending flues or passages D D* within lthe apparatus, and from the bottom of which lead outlet-pipes D2 D2*, controlled by suitable valves, D3 D3*. The grates e e are each sup- 4vported upon air-pipes e e c, which are perforated, and form branches of main air-pipes e2, which extend along the sides of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 3, and are provided with valves 6*, whereby the flow of air may be permitted through one or b'oth of them. rlhe air from a blower or other source of supply is admitted through a common supply-pipe,

e, tothe pipes e2.

In each flue or passage D D* is or may be arranged a superheater for steam. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, these superheaters each consist of a large horizontal pipe,

z', closed at the inner end, t*, and also at the outer end, and having a pipe, i', leading from it near the outer end to the air-pipe e2. Within the large'pipe 'i is a small pipe, ft2, which extends nearly to the closed inner end thereof, and delivers its steam thereinto, and the pipes 2 are supplied by branch pipes i3, containing valves if, and receiving steam from a common supply-pipe, i5. Steam from the pipe t5, when one or other of the valves if is open, passes along that pipe 3, to and through the pipe ft2, and is delivered at the inner end thereof into the large pipe t', and after passing in the reverse direction through the pipei the steam passes by the pipe t" to the perforated pipes e of one or other chamber D or D*, into which it is delivered in a highlysuperheated condition, and ready to be decomposed by passing upward through the fire therein. Superheaters of any other suitable construction may lbe arranged in said iues or passages D D rl`he operation of the apparatus is very simple. The lires are first lighted in the chambers D D*, and are blown up to heat the retorts A to a distilling-point, one or both the valves D3 D3* being open. After this is done the retorts are charged with bituminous coal and the furnace-chambers are thereafter to be used alternately for blowing up and for decomposition. Suppose, for example, that the right-hand chamber, D, is to be first used, the air is shut off the chamber D*, but the outletvalve D3*, leading from the flue or passage D* at t-he back thereof is left open, and the draft passes from the furnace-chamber D upward over the wall C, and thence down through the flue or passage D*, whereby the retorts are heated and coal therein is subjected to distillation. When the coal in the chamber D reaches a decomposing-point, I shut off the air from that chamber and turn on steam, and the steam is thereby decomposed, and the gas thereby produced takes the same course upward over the wall C, and then downward through the flue or passage D*. The valve D3* is shut and the valve D3 opened, and then air is admitted to the chamber D* to blow it up, and the products of combustion pass up over the wall C and down through the flue or passage D', thereby heating the retorts and raising the fuel in the chamber D* to a point of incandescence.' Steam is then turned on the chamber D*, and is therein decomposed, and the products of decomposition take the same course and issue from the outlet D2. If the heat at any time falls below that required to heat the retorts, both res may be blown up to heat them. By this method of operation I do'not continue the admission of steam until the fires have become cooled-to a point at which they will not effect decomposition,

but shut off steam when the lires become so cooled that the gases resulting from decomposition would cool the retorts; hence but a very few minutes are-required each time to blow up the fires, and the alternate operation is very rapid. The fires are always very hot, and hence there is a more rapid combustion in the furnaces and less liability of the fires clinkering and clogging so as to produce trouble in operating the apparatus.

Ordinarily in gas-generating furnaces having two chambers the draft in blowing up is upward through one grate and re and downward through the other lire and grate, and consequently the grates are soon worn or burned out. l

In my apparatus the draft is upward through either grate and chamber; but the downward draft is not through the grate, but in the ue or passage D or D*, and consequently the grates are far more durable.

During the time the fires vare being blown up and steam is being decomposed therein, the gases are evolved from the coal in the retorts A and delivered into the hydraulic main B, and when the coal in the retorts is brought to a coking-point the coke is withdrawn onto the retort-floor E, and as much as desired is fed into the furnace chambers through the doors h h.

The outlets D2 D2* beyond the valves D3 D3* should be provided with suitable valves for controlling the products of combustion and water-gas. These valves are well understood, and form no part of my invention. The watergas may after its escape from the furnace have added to it vapor of naphtha or other liquid hydrocarbon to give it illuminating power, and may then be added to the volume of coalgas in the hydraulic main through the inletpipe B*; or it may be maintained separate from the coal-gas.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a double-cham- IOO IIO

bered generating furnace having separate munieate, and a number of retorts arranged grates and a partition-Wall, above which the in the upper part of said chambers, of a transchambers communicate with each other, of a verse Wall at the back of said chambers formi 5 Wall extending transversely across the back ing downwardly-extending fines or passages,

5 of each chamber, forming thereinadownwardfrom which lead outlet-pipes, and pipes for ly-extending lue or passage, from which leads supplying to said chambers air for blowing an outlet-pipe, and pipes for supplying steam np and steam for decomposition, substantially and air alternately to said chambers, substanl as herein described.

tially as herein described. CHAS. W. ISBELL. ro 2. The combination, with a double-cham- Witnesses:

bered generating-furnace having a central C. HALL,

partitionwall, above which the chambers com- FREDK. HAYNEs. 

